Monthly Report

HSE’s 46MW onshore wind project faces setback as Fukushima City mayor opposes land lease

January 23, 2025
Fukushima Mayor
The mayor’s consent is required for HSE to be able to sign a national forest land lease contract. (Image: Fukushima City)

At his regular press conference held on January 21, 2025, Fukushima City Mayor Hiroshi Kowata stated he will not consent to the construction of the 46.2MW “Fukushima Kita” onshore wind project that is being developed in the city and the neighboring Koori Town by HSE.

Mayor’s consent is not necessary for the project to pass the environmental impact assessment process, however, it is required for HSE to be able to sign a national forest land lease agreement. Kowata expressed his intent to not approve the project citing weather-related disaster and landscape degradation concerns, as well as growing negative public sentiment.

While the decision is not official yet, it has the potential to stall the project. In 2022, an up to 183MW onshore wind project in the prefecture being developed by HSE was canceled due to local opposition, albeit at a much earlier stage of the environmental impact assessment process than the Fukushima Kita project is at.

HSE, then Hitachi Sustainable Energy, started the environmental impact assessment process for the Fukushima Kita project in 2020. In December 2024, it submitted the assessment report to the government. The company’s plan includes the installation of 11 4.2MW turbines, including 10 in Fukushima City and one in Koori Town, across approximately 354ha of national forest land.

Currently, HSE, an 85.1:14.9 joint venture between by Mitsubishi HC Capital and Hitachi Power Solutions, has, through a number of consolidated subsidiaries stakes in 29 operational power plants. Most recently, in March 2024, it commissioned the 4.98MW Rumoi Port Wind Power Plant in Hokkaido owned by Kuroshio Wind Power Generation. Earlier this month, it submitted draft environmental impact assessment for a 63.9MW onshore wind power plant in Miyagi Prefecture.

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